Flashlight



Oct. 4, 1949. FALGE 2,483,820

FLASHLIGHT Filed April 9, 1946 A. ac. LAUNDRY I UPI! CLEANING INVENTOR.R. L. FALGE BY 0M1 (A716 G uTZk Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Raymond L. Falge, Bethesda, Md. ApplicationApril 9, 1946, Serial No. 660,632

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-1058) This invention pertains to electric flashlightsand said term is intended to include portable electric illuminatingdevices of all kinds whether they be referred to as torches" or "signallights or any other fanciful name.

More particularly and specifically the invention relates to what I calla "throw-away electric flashlight which term is intended to mean aflashlight which can b produced and sold at a price suificiently cheapto permit the device in its entirety to be discarded, that is, thrownaway, when the electric battery has become exhausted.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efficientflashlight constructed of the minimum number of parts and which can beproduced sumciently cheap that it can be thrown away when the electricbattery thereof has become exhausted.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a flashlight inwhich the light bulb thereof is supported in a simple yet novel mannerand in which the closing of the electric circuit to illuminate the lightbulb is accomplished in a novel, simple, yet highly eflicient andpositive manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a flashlight whichis highly suitable as a novelty gift and can be effectively utilized foradvertising purposes.

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision of athrow-away flashlight having an air and liquid-proof carrier orenclosing housing.

From the following description and reference to the accompanying drawingother objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will beascertained and understood.

In the drawings: i

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the flashlight, theelectric circuit to the light being open.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the electric circuit to the lightbeing closed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the flashlight of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 isa longitudinal sectional view through a flashlight embodying amodified form of the invention.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, A is an open-ended hollow tubular carrier of the properdiameter and cross sectional configuration to receive a conventional drycell electric battery B. This battery ventional batteries of the typeillustrated, are

provided with a wrapper composed of some dielectric material but in thepresent instance such a wrapper has been omitted and the jacket I of thebattery which is composed of some suitable current conducting materialis bare.

A wrapper C composed of paper, fibre or other suitable like material isof tubular form and of a length slightly less than the length of thecarrier A and carries on its inner side a similar shaped sheet D which'is composed of a material having electric current conductingcharacteristics such as for instance tin foil. The sheet D in realityconstitutes a lining for the wrapper C. The battery B is snugly receivedby the wrapper and the metallic jacket of the battery has currentconducting contact with the sheet or lining D, all as clearly appears inthe drawings.

At one of its ends the wrapper C internallycarries a plug or ring Ecomposed of wood, fibre, plastic or other suitable material. This plugis centrally provided with a passageway 3 and is suitably secured in thewrapper by an adhesive or any other desirable means, againstdisplacement.

An electric light bulb F is provided and is of conventional nature tothose types of bulbs which do not require in combination with them areflector. Such bulbs are well known and can be bought on the openmarket. The bulb comprises the usual globe 4 within which is positionedthe light filament and a base 5 which is electrically connected to oneend of the filament and con- 'stitutes one terminal of the bulb. Thesecond terminal 6 of the bulb is in the bulb end and is suitablyinsulated away from the socket 5.

The purpose of the plug or ring E is to support the light bulb andcenter its end terminal 6 in respect to the battery terminal 2. Thesupport of the bulb is obtained-by inserting the globe 4 of the bulbinto thepassageway 3 of the plug. The fit between the passageway and theglobe is sufliciently snug as to assure support for the bulb in theposition illustrated in the drawings. Should it be desirable the plug Ecould be composed of rubber or some other resilient material so thatthere would be an actual resilient clamp ing action upon the globe ofthe bulb.

The end of the carrier in front of the light bulb is hermetically sealedby a cap I composed of a material which will permit the passage oflight.

At least that portion of the cap 1 closing the passageway 3 of the plugwill permit the passage of light. The opposite end of the carrier ishermetically sealed by a cap 8. To assure electrical contact engagementbetween the end terminal 6 of the light bulb and the terminal 2 of thebattery a coil spring 9 or other suitable resilient means is interposedbetween the cap 8 and the bottom end ill of the battery.

The selection of the material of which the carrier and its end caps iscomposed is optional as is also the exact construction thereof. Insteadof the caps telescoping the carrier the caps could telescopicallyreceive the ends of the carrier. When the flashlight is intended for usefor advertising purposes such as free distribution the carrier is madeof a transparent material and advertising indicia such as illustratedat- H is carried on the outer face of the wrapper C and is clearlyvisible for reading. The nature of the indicia I I can vary widely. Itcan be advertising matter or if the flashlight is to be used as a signalthe signal code could be placed upon the wrapper for convenient use ofthe signal light user. It is to be understood however that it is notessential that the carrier be transparent.

It is however essential that a part or area of the carrier immediatelyadjacent the socket oi the light bulb be resiliently flexible because toclose the light circuit to illuminate the bulb pressure is exerted bythe thumb or finger of the user, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, to depress and move the wrapper and current conductingsheet D inwardly until the sheet D engages the bulb socket, asillustrated at l2. The release of this pressure will permit the partsbecause of their resiliency to return to the positions illustrated inFig. 1 of the drawings. It will be seen that it would be preferable tohave the wrapper C composed of a flexible resilient material and to havethe sheetD secured to the wrapper to move therewith. This however is notessential as the desired and required movement of parts would beaccomplished by having resilient flexibility in the carrier and in thesheet D.

Flexibility in the wrapper would be necessary but resiliency would not.The desired movement Respecting flexibility and resiliency in the car anair and liquid-tight flashlight. This material is impervious to thepassage of air or liquid and by using it as the material for the endcaps these caps can be quickly and simply fused or sealed into air andliquid-tight engagement with the carrier by the use of a suitablesolvent.

The simplicity and cheapness oi the flashlight can be obtained withoutmaking the carrier air and liquid-proof but making it so is particularlydesirable as will be obvious to those familiar with and skilled in thisart. Among some of those advantages of an air and liquid-proofflashlight are the following: irrespective of existing climatic orsimilar conditions the flashlight will positively operate as long asthere is suflicient current from the battery to illuminate the-lightbulb and the life of a battery is multiplied several times when in anair and liquid-proof container and the flashlight can be actually usedunder water which greatly widens the field of utility of the flashlight.An air and liquid-proof carrier assures that positive operation of theflashlight will be neither impaired nor destroyed through accidentalimmersion of the flashlight in water or .some other liquid.

The modified form of the'invention appearing in Fig. 5 is of even moresimplified construction in that the number of parts comprising theflashlight is reduced. There is the same battery B with its terminals Iand 2 but in this instance the light bulb is supported by having its endterminal 6 soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the terminal 2 ofthe battery. The carrier G is formed with an integral bottom 13 and atits front end is rolled over as at M to provide a shoulder l5 to whichthe front closure cap I6 is suitably secured. There is the same wrapper6 and current conducting sheet D. There is also the necessary resilientflexibility, previously described, in the carrier, the wrapper and thesheet to permit the electric circuit to be closed in the mannerpreviously described and clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.Endwise movement of the battery and light bulb is prevented by securingthe lower end In of the battery to the bottom l3 of the carrier by asuitable adhesive ll or its equivalent. As in respect to the previouslydescribed form of the invention it is optional whether or not thecarrier is made transparent, whether it is flexibly resilient in itsentirety or only in a localized area, and whether it is made air andliquid-proof.

The entire carrier of the flashlight indicated in the drawings iscomposed of flexible resilient material with the result that inwardpressure at any point of the circumference of that part of the carriersurrounding the socket 5 of the light bulb will result in the closing ofthe electric circuit. To provide for this operation it is not necessarythat the entire carrier be flexible and resilient. The flexibleresiliency in the carrier could be provided by having in the carrier aband of flexible resilient material surrounding the socket of the lightbulb.

concept.

Departures from the precise arrangements illustrated and described canbe made without departing from the inventive concept and theinvention isto be limited only within the scope of the hereinafter following claims.

I claim: 1. In a portable electric flashlight, a carrier having flexibleside walls and an end which will permit the passage of lighttherethrough, said carrier constituting an enclosing housing for thefollowing: an electric battery having a metallic jacket constituting oneof its poles and having: its

7 other pole at one of its ends, an electric light bulb having a currentconducting base and in one of its ends a terminal electrically insulatedfrom said base, the terminal of the light bulb having current conductingengagement with the pole in the battery end, an elongated metallicflexible tubular resilient current conducting element having one endencircling and in current conducting contact with the jacket of thebattery, the other end of said element completely encircling the currentconducting base of the light bulb but being disposed normally in spacedrelationship thereto, and the parts operating whereby an inward pressureupon the carrier at any point in its circumference about the currentconducting base of the light bulb will move said tubular flexiblecurrent conducting element inwardly to electrically contact said bulbbase to cause the closing of the electric circuit to the bulb and theillumination thereof.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein, means is providedwithin the carrier for supporting the light bulb to hold the terminalthereof in the recited current conducting engagement with the pole inthe battery end, said bulb supporting means comprising an aperturedblock immovably secured within the container, and the glass bulb portiononly of the light bulb being disposed and secured in the aperture ofsaid block.

3. In a portable electric flashlight, a tubular carrier having closedends and having in its length a flexible portion which extendsthroughout the circumference of the carrier and a portion which willpermit the passage of light therethrough, said carrier constituting anenclosing housing for the following; an electric battery having ametallic jacket constituting one of its poles and having its other poleat one of its ends, an electric light bulb having a current conductingbase and at one of its ends a terminal electrically insulated from saidspaced from the flexible portion of the carrier, the

terminal of the bulb having current conducting engagement with the polein the battery end, an elongated metallic current conducting elementhaving one end in current conducting contact with the jacket of thebattery and a flexible resilient portion completely encircling thecurrent conducting base of the light bulb but being disposed normally inspaced relationship thereto, and the parts operating whereby an inwardpressure upon the flexible portion of the carrier at any point in itscircumference about the current conducting base of the light bulb willmove the flexible portionof said tubular flexible current conductingelement inwardly to electrically contact said bulb base to cause theclosing of the electric circuit to the bulb and illumination thereof.

RAYMOND L. FALGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,700,768 Kuechenmeister Feb. 5,1929 1,866,600 Rauch July 12, 1932 1,922,801 Gillingham Aug. 15, 19332,166,864 Gelardin July 18, 1939 2,262,040 Pell Nov. 11, 1941 2,387,144Gey Oct. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 418,471 GreatBritain Oct. 25, 1934

